We were not in a hurry that afternoon, which might be why the place caught us the way it did. The newly opened Café Open Door did exactly what the name suggests as we walked in. The teal green and cream interior, a coffee counter, a little bakery bar with cookies visible from the entrance, gave a Pinterest-quality to the space.

Co-owners Vishnupriya and Kamalapriya, sisters who have also built an art and clothing space in the room next door, have created something that feels genuinely theirs. Vishnupriya told us they wanted a space where people could come and simply be, read a book, get some work done, or explore the art at their own pace. Their tagline “An open door to slow days” aligns with this concept.

As we settled down, we ordered the Salted brown sugar vanilla latte first. Not too sweet, not too assertive on the coffee, with the salt doing the quiet work without drawing attention to itself. The Earl grey matcha followed alongside it, an unusual pairing that worked better than expected.

We paired the drinks along with the cookies. The chocolate inside the Double chocolate cookies genuinely oozed rather than sitting stiffly in the centre. The caramel cookies meanwhile were the more composed option, buttery and properly baked.

The Honey crisp chicken arrived from the kitchen next, featuring crispy chicken tenders cooked properly, peri peri on top and a small dish of infused honey on the side. The heat and the sweetness against the crunch made this the most immediately enjoyable plate of the meal.

The Orange green tea came alongside soon after, warm and gently citrusy, the orange note lifting the green tea well.

The Pesto chicken and mozzarella on sourdough was clean and well-constructed. Grilled chicken, buffalo mozzarella and house basil pesto with fresh greens and house dressing on toasted sourdough that held together properly under the weight of everything on top.

One of the most comforting plate of the afternoon was the Truffle mushroom risotto. Creamy and properly made, the truffle oil running through it with just enough presence to matter without taking over. The kind of risotto that slows a meal down in the best possible way.

We ended our afternoon with the Strawberry mascarpone, which was light, fresh and gently sweet without feeling heavy after everything that had come before it.

INR 250 onwards. 10 am to 8 pm. At Open Door, Adyar, Chennai

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